Automatic fire-alarm system.



'J. B. AMMONS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. B, 1914.

Patented Mar.16,1915.

S w m M M a M A k C R u B N H v closer Whic UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BURCK AMMONS, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO Ei'ANDER AMMONS AND ONE-FIETEENTH T0 OTIS.MCG'AFFEY, BOTH OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIQ FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed December 8, 1914. Serial No. 876,088.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, JOHN BURCK AM- Mons, of Houston, in the county of Harris and. State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Automatic Fire-Alarm Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic fire-alarm systems of that type wherein a normally open electric circuit within which alarm' devices and circuit closers are connected is led through one or more chambers or buildings and arranged to indicate by sound or visible means the location of a fire within any one of the several chambers through which the circuit is led.

One of the particular objects of my invention is the arrangement of an electric circuit whereby a plurality of alarm devices and circuit closers may be included without the use of troublesome relays or a complicated wiring system. The primary object of. the present invention is to .rovide a thermal circuit closer adapted to e used with an alarm system of the character above described which circuit closer consists of two thermally operated elements one of which is positioned adjacent the circuit closer and holding thesaid closer in anv open position, and theother thermal element so constructed and arranged that it will both have communication with the circuit closer toclose it, and also have communication with any number of points where fires might occur.

Another primary object of the present improvement is to devise a thermally operated circuit closer'which will both be operated by an fire occurring at anyone of a Iurahty 0 points and will alsobe operated a fire occurrin at the point where the c rcuit closer itsel is located.

A still further primary object of the present im rovement is to devise a circuit ii-is thermally operated, the thermal means includin two distinct thermal elements either of w i'ch will itself operate the circuit closer.

' Other objects and advantages of the present improvement will be set forth in the following description and drawings in which, i

Figure 1 is a view showinga portion of the interior of a room and a section through the partition thereof exposing to view one simple form of a fire alarm system arranged in accordance with m invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of t e circuit closer shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified form of vthermal controlledcircuit closer. Fig, 5 showsin perspective the members for retaining the thermally controlled member in place.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate similar parts, and referring particularly to Fig. 1, this figure shows a portion of the interior of a. room anda section through the partitions thereof exposing to view, my improved fire alarm system arranged to indicate the fire in one room only and provided with but one alarm. It is to be understood, however, that the main circuit wires of this system may be prolonged to cover a plurality of rooms or a number of buildings within which rooms and buildings a plurality of circuit closers may be arranged, and. a plurality of alarms may be also arranged ad jacent these rooms. Such an arrangement would be a mere duplication of the system shown in Fig. 1, and such a duplication is within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 in detail, the reference numeral 1 represents an alarm hell having one of its contacts connected to a wire 2 which leads to one pole of a source of elec trical energy 3 and the other contact being Connected to one terminal 4 of a circuit closer 5 by means of the wire 6. The other pole of the source of electrical energy here shown as a battery 3 is connected by a wire 7 to a device for indicating the strength of the battery, said device being indicated at 8. No specific'description of this volt and ammeter is given herein, for the reason that any well known form of volt-ammeter may be used. A wire 9 leads'from the said voltammeter to the other terminal 10 of the circuit closer 5. By this construction it will be seen that when the circuit closer 5 is operated to a closed position, a complete circuit is formed and current is supplied from position, a fusible upright member 14 .mounted in a socket 15, which socket ishinged at a suitable point. The fusible upright member serves to hold the spring arm 13 so that the contacts 11 and 12 are disengaged or in the open circuit position.

This fusible upright 14: provides a thermal means which is located at the point where the circuit closer is placed, which thermal means when ignited andburned by a fire occurring at the point where the circuit closer is placed will allow the contacts 10 and 11 to be brought together and thereby close the circuit and ring the alarm. .However, a second thermal element is used in combination with the. circuit closer which both may be operated by a fire occurring at the point where the circuit closer is placed and also is so constructed that it will cover a large area and may be operated at any one of a plurality of points. This second thermally operated-means for closing the circuit closer comprises an explosion container or cannon 16 carrying a fusible projectile 17. This cannon is mounted in such a position that the projectile 17 will, when the cannon 16 is exploded be projected against the fusible upright member 1%, thereby bodily dislodg ing it and allowing the contacts 11 and 12 to assume the closed circuit position, thus ringing the alarm device 1. The means for operating the cannon consists in fuses 16, 18 and 19 which extend from the cannon to any number of desirable points covering a large field throughout thelr length. For a more clear view of the circuit closer shown in Fig. 1, reference may be had to Fig. 2. In order that the cannon 16 may be readily rccharged after operation, it is preferably mountedxby means of a full U-shaped member 21 and a three-quarter member 22 which are adapted to engage squared lugs 23 provided integral with the cannon 16.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the circuit closer shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be operated from three different points, that is, a fire may fuse three difierentthermal elements for operating the circuit closer and thereby ive three chances that the fire in the room in which the circuit closer is placedwill be announced by the alarm. Two of these thermal means are located at the point a fire occur at Jthe point where the circuit closer is positioned, either the fusible support 14 would be burned and the circuit closer closed, or else the fusible projectile 17 would be burned which would open the 5 contacts of the con 14, 'ite it and I fire reaches the Lis'placed. where the circuit closer is placed. Should thereby tend to assist in-the ignition of the r fusible upright member 14, should this upright not be ignited .by a-fire occurring at the point where the closer is placed. However, should the fire occur in some distant portion of the room, it would have a chance to ignite any one of the three fuses leadin to the cannon which fuses are laid aroun the room either between the partitions or exposed in the room and when any of these fuses become ignitedv or burned until it' reaches the cannon 16 then fire the charge within the cannonand project the projectile 17 and thereby dislodge the fusible upright 14. However, should none of the fuses 16, 18, or 19 become ignited becauseof faulty fuses or on account of dampness and the entire room catch fire, then as soon as the flames reach the circuit closer itself the fusible elements 14 or 17 wouldfbe ignited and the circuit closer closed as. above described. Due to the construction? of the circuit closer, a fire starting either at the point where the'cirouit-closer is operated will be at once communicated to the'alarm; a fire existing at any point within the room will i be communicated to the room; or should the entire room catch fire before a fire at any point within the roomwere communicated,

then this general conflagration inthe room 'will be communicated to" the alarm before any of the other rooms or the building 'be burned.

Referring now in detail to a modified form of circuit closer shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it will'be seen that the contacts 11 and 12 are held in the open circuit osition 1 by means of the projectile 17 itse f. In this case the cannon 16 is..mounted with its axis at right angles to the spring arm 13 and engaging the projectile 17-, thus if the-cannon is exploded, the projectile 17 will move from the spring arm 13 allowing the contacts 11 and 12 to close, or, if the fuses fail to produce an explosion in thecannon, the

projectile 17 upon the fire reaching the circuit closer, will fuse the said projectile and allow the contacts 11 and 12 to close'the cirment operating the circuit'closer when the It may be stated in connection with the cannon employed in the circuit'closers that the fusible projectile 17 ispreferably made of wax, fusible'at a suitable, temperature and acts to'hermetically seal the mo'uthfo the cannon. Also the point at which the fuse or fuses enter the cannon is also herpoint where the circuit closer metically' sealed by any suitable means such as a few drops of wax, thus insuring at all times the proper preservation of the explosive substance in the cannon against deteriorationdue to atmospheric conditions.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts,- fusible means under one of the contacts for holding said contacts in an open circuit position with respect to each, said fusible means adapted to be fused by heat or to be bodily removed to close the contacts, and explosive means for bodily removing said fusible means if the latter fails to fuse to permit the contacts to close, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm. circuit including contact means located under one of said contacts for holding same in open circuit position with respect to each, and explosive means for bodily removing said first mentioned means from engagement with the contact to permit of closing said contacts.

3. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including a spring contactand a fixed contact, fusible means engaging under said spring contact for holding the same in an open circuit position with re-' spect to said fixed contact, said means adapted to be fused by heat or to be bodily removed to close said contacts, an explosive container or cannon, a projectile carried by said cannon for bodily removing said fusible means from engagement with the spring contact to release the latter and close said circuit, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including a spring contact and a fixed contact, a hinged support arranged beneath the spring contact, fusible means in the hinged support and engaging said spring contact for holding the same in an open circuit position, said fusible means adapted to be fused by heat or to be bodily removed from'the spring contact to close said contacts, an explosive container or cannon, a projectile carried by said cannon for bodily removing said fusible means from engagement with the spring contact to release said spring contact and close said circuit, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts, a fusible means under one of said contacts for holding the latter in open circuit position, and which is adapted to be fused by heat or to be bodily removed to close said contacts, a cannon adjacent the fusible means and containing an explosive, and a fusible projectile in the cannon, whereby the projectile may fuse and the explosive be ignited and the resultant explosion will bodily remove the fusible means from engagement with the contact or the projectile when ejected by an explosion in the cannon will bodily remove said fusible element from engagement with the contact to permit said contacts to close the circuit. v

6. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including a spring contact and a fixed contact, a hinged support arranged beneath the spring contact. the said hinged support adapted to swing in a line parallel to the spring contact. fusible means engaging said spring contact for holding the same in an open circuit position, the said fusible means fitting within the hinged support. an explosive container or cannon. a

projectile carried by said cannon for bodily dislodging the said fusible means and collapsing the hinge, whereby the said spring contact is released and the circuit closed substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BURCK AMMONS.

Witnesses:

. J.,K. Moons,

JULIA S. S'rnvmzs. 

